1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to improvements in spas, and more particularly pertains to new and improved video entertainment systems for spas.
2. Description of Related Art
Current spa entertainment systems are concerned with including the entertainment units within the spa housing in a manner that will protect the entertainment units from the corrosive environment, both while a spa is in use and when the spa is not in use. Most such systems contemplate the raising and lowering of video monitors and speakers into the spa housing, the monitor being raised when occupants of the spa want to view the monitor, the monitor being lowered when the spa is not in use. Examples of such prior art systems can be found in Lauter et al (Publication No. US 2004/0068786 A1) published Apr. 15, 2004, for a combination spa entertainment system, and Lauter et al (Publication No. US 2003/0088912 A1) for a combination spa and entertainment system, published May 15, 2003.
This concept of making entertainment units retractable into the housing for the spa has been adopted by much of the prior art. Examples can be found in Cox (U.S. Pat. No. 6,754,916) for spas having a retractable entertainment unit, granted Jun. 29, 2004. Cox (Publication No. US 2004/0205889 A1) for spas having a retractable antennae unit, published Oct. 21, 2004, Lerma (Publication No. US 2005/0091739 A1) for retractable rotating spa speaker system, published May 5, 2005, and Schmidt et al (Publication No. US 2004/0156517A1) for a retractable speaker system, published Aug. 12, 2004.
For those spas that do not retract entertainment units into a spa housing, the entertainment unit is made a permanent fixture on the spa housing. Examples can be found in Japanese Patent JP11099078 published Apr. 13, 1999, Japanese Patent JP4285511 published Oct. 9, 1992, Gardenier et al (Publication No. US 2003/0070218 A1), published Apr. 17, 2003 for a headrest assembly having an illuminated insert for spa, and Artz (Publication No. US 2002/0020797 A1) for a positionable adjustable support arm for items, published Feb. 21, 2002.